Two-piece digging tooth



Jan. 27, 1959 F. w. RICHARDSON TWO-PIECE DIGGING' TOOTH 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 4, 1955 Jan. 27, 1959 F. w. RICHARDSON TWO-PIECE DIGGING TOOTH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1955 United States Patent TWO-PIECE DIGGING TOOTH Forrest W. Richardson, Kansas City, Mo. 8 Application November 4, 1955, Serial No. 544,879

2 Claims. (Cl. 37---142) This invention relates to improvements in a quickly separable two-piece excavator tooth for excavating shovels. This tooth is of a class such as is generally used on the forward cutting edge of shovels, buckets, dredges, and any other excavating devices. Such teeth, when in use, are subject to very severe wear, and it is therefore very important that they may be quickly detached to re move damaged teeth from the excavator and replace them with new ones. This two-piece tooth is strong and rugged in construction and the means for joining the sections thereof together includes a bendable tongue integral with the digging section which may be hammered to a locking position about a shoulder integral with the mounting adapter member, which is securely riveted to the excavator device. When the digging section is separated from the adaptor by moving the tongue from the securing position, the digging section may be replaced by a new unit to repair the excavating machine for use.

These as well as other objects will appear in the course of the specification wherein my invention will be disclosed and shown in the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of one of my improved detachable teeth showing the same mounted on the forward edge of an excavating shovel,

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line II-II of Fig. 1 showing the tooth in the operative digging position with parts shown in elevation,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line III III of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is an inverted view of the structure shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the digging section,

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the mounting adaptor,

Fig. 7 is an enlarged, inverted sectional view of the tooth parts positioned together in the assembled position with the tongue shown in dotted lines in its original position and with the tongue hammered down to the locking position shown in solid lines. The adaptor is shown with its inner end portion securely riveted to the excavator.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged inverted sectional view wherein portions of the tooth parts are shown in dotted lines as the parts are secured together, and in solid lines when the arched portion of the digging section tongue has been given a heavy hammer blow to force the tongue above the adaptor for removal therefrom.

Reference will now be had to the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views and the numeral 10 designates an excavating machine bucket such as of a ditcher or the like which must be constantly kept in good repair for proper digging.

It should be kept in mind that each of these machines requires several gangs of teeth which must be properly serviced to keep the digging operation eflicient at all times.

The digging section 12 shown in Fig. 5 is of hollow form having a wedge shaped hollow socket 14 suitable for receiving the wedge shaped lug 16 of adaptor 18, which is secured to the excavating machine by means of rivets 20. The forward end 22 of member 12 is made of hardened material and is welded at W to top 38 of said hollow member 12. This body member is quite malleable and has a tongue 24 which is adapted to be bent with a hammer blow to grip the shoulder 26 formed on the underside of Wedge lug 16. The top side of the rear portion of adaptor 18 is convex at 28 to provide that it will have edge contact only with plate 11 of the excavating machine, and has an upwardly standing lug .30 which is disposed against the forward edge of bucket 10. The tongue 24 is arched transversely at 34, and has a saw kerf 32 at its opposite sides which extends to the top of said arch. It will be noted that the arch portion 34 of tongue 24 rests at its opposite sides on the surface of under side 36 of lug 16 of adaptor 18. When so constructed this arch when given a hard hammer blow when t the parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 8 will tend to move the tongue 24 from its securingpo-sition shown in dotted lines to its released position shown in solid lines.

The wedge shaped socket 14 has parallel side walls 40 and a bottom wall 42 which together with top wall 38 snugly receive the wedge shaped lug 16 of adaptor 18 to prevent any material relative movement of these connecting parts.

When it is evident that a tooth needs to be replaced, the operator simply delivers a sharp hammer blow to the top of arch 34 whereby the tongue will be moved to the released position. This released digging section may be pulled-off and a new one put in place. With a simple blow of the hammer, the new tongue can be set to the locking position. I

What I have invented anddesire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A two-piece digging tooth comprising a mounting adaptor including a forwardly tapering wedge-shaped lug having susbtantially planar faces, one of said faces being recessed to form a rearwardly facing shoulder, and a digging section socketed correspondingly to said lug and fitted thereover, said digging section including a rearwardly extending malleable tongue inengagement with the recessed face of said lug, the rearward end portion of said tongue being bent into said recess and engaging said shoulder to secure the parts in assembly, said tongue having a preformed arch therein immediately forwardly of said lug-shoulder and bowed outwardly from said recessed lug face, whereby a sharp ham'mer blow on the outer surface of said tongue arch will bend said tongue to remove the end portion of said tongue from said tongue adapted when said socket is fitted over said lug toextend rearwardly of said lug shoulder, said lug having a preformed arch therein intermediate its ends which when the socket is fitted over the lug is disposed immediately forwardly of said shoulder and is bowed outwardly from said lug, whereby when the socket and lug are assembled a hammer blow at the end portion of'said tongue, will force said end portion into said lug recess to secure the parts in assembly, and whereby a hammer blow on the outer surface of said tongue arch will force the end portion of said tongue out of engagement with said recess.

Smith July 15, 1952 Y 

